Germany’s low birthrate means that the population has been steadily declining, but it also means that the ratio of old people to young has shifted in favor of the old. The Federal Office of Statistics predicts that in 2050 there will be twice as many sixty-year-olds as newborns in Germany – a development attributable to both the declining birthrate and ever longer life expectancies. The ratio in 2005 was still balanced. The photo shows a typical scene in many German cities – retirees sitting on a park bench. Photo: Karl-Heinz Spremberg.